Time-indicator for telephones.



UNITED STATES- A PATENT CFFICE.

THOMAS BARNET, OF'SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH W'ALES.

TIME-INDICATOR FOR TELEPHONES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 677,331, dated July 2, 1901.

Application filed January 20, 1899. Serial No. 702,799. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, THOMAS BARNET, a subject of the King of England, residing at Sydney, county of Cumberland, and Colony of New South Wales, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time lndicators for Telephones, of which the following is a specification.

It has been usual for the proprietors of telephone exchanges and systems hitherto to charge a uniform rate to all subscribers connected with the exchange. Some subscribers, however, have almost a monopoly of the wires, while other subscribers will only use the telephone for a short time once or twice each day. This invention has been specially devised with a view to charge for the use of the telephones by time, so that a subscriberwho has but little use for his telephone will not be called upon to pay at the same rate as the subscriber whose instrument is in constant use. To this end the lever-switch of the telephone is connected with a clock or other mechanism which shall be inoperative when the telephone is not in use; but as soon as the receiver islifted from the lever the clockwork shall commence to operate and will thus 'register the extent of time that the instrument is beingused. The apparatus is so arranged that the up-aud-down movement of the lever-' ing gear. Fig. 4 shows the dial upon which the time the telephone has been in use may be read. Fig. 5 is a detail showing a small appliance which may be found useful in starting the clockwork when it is released from the control of the switch-lever.

' A is the switch-lever, provided with a hook a, on which the combined receiver and transmitter is suspended. The position shown is that assumed by the lever when it is depressed Fig- 3 is a front ele-' Vation of the automatic releasing and wind-' by the weight of the combined transmitter and receiver, the elevated position being shown by dotted lines.

B is the clockwork appliance, which may be made in any way that would be efiective in carrying out the idea involved in the in- Vention. To one side of the clockwork appliance will be attached the hands and dials for indicating the time in any manner, such as is usually adoptedin recording'meters. On another side of the clockwork appliance is placed the automatic winding-gear. This consists of a ratchet-wheel b outside the clockwork-case and connected to the spur-wheel b within the'case. These two wheels, ratchetwheel b and spur-wheel b,.revolve together loosely upon the counter-shaft 5 The levermentalpinion E, which is keyed on the axis 0, to which is connected the actuating-spring that is inclosed within the spring-easel. The spur-wheel E is made segmental in order to prevent overwinding of the spring. The pawl D is provided with a tailpiece cl, which will impinge against the stop 61 (placed in any suitable situation) when the lever A is in its elevated position, and thus the pawl D will be kept clear of the teeth of the ratchet b and the clockwork apparatus will be free to revolve. When the switch-lever A is depressed, the pawl D will be released from contact with the stop at and will reengage with the teeth of the ratchet I), thus arresting the movement of the clockwork.

The actuating spring is automatically wound in the following manner: When the conversation through the telephone is finished, the receiver is hung upon the switchlever A, thereby depressing it. The pawl D will be released from contact with the stop d and will reengage with the teeth of the ratchet I), while the weight of the lever A will cause the ratchet to make a partial revolution backward equal to the space of about two ratchet-teeth. This backward movement will be communicated through the spur-wheel b and the segmental pinion E to the actuating-spring within the case F The spring will therefore be potentially more powerfulby the amount of resilience represented by the space of two teeth on the ratchet. Should the spring within the case F be run right down, it may be rewound by working the lever A up and down, or in order that the clockwork mechanism shall be prevented from running down should the receiver be left 01f the hook a a stop 2 is placed upon the side of the ratchet b, which shall engage with the leverarm 0, and thus prevent the ratchet andclock work from turningwhen the stop comes up against the lever O. Any suitable form of connecting-train may be used between the clockwork mechanism and the indicating mechanism. Such a train is shown'in Fig. 2, in which the clockwork m'echanismdescribed is located on the right of the figure and the indicating mechanism is. on the left 'of said figure, with the connecting-train between.

Should it be found necessary to start the balance-wheel of the clockwork, the device shown in Fig. 5 may be employed. 1 The leverarm G is firmly pinned onto the counter-shaft b and is provided at its outermost end with,

a small spring g. When the lever O isdrawn up by the movement of the lever A, the lever G will be depressed'to the. dotted position shownin Fig. 5, thereby giving a slight sendv orimpetus to-the balance-wheel H'sufficient to start it oscillating. It is considered that the balance-wheel would start without this appliance, but it has been considered advisable to show it in case of accidents.

J, Fig. 4, representsthe recording-dials,

' whichare constructed in a manner wellknown and understood, being similar in all their main features with those employed in'a'ny ordinary recording-meter. Having now particularly described and ascertained-the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same isto be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In combination with the lever for sup- ,with the clock-spring for winding the same, a lever O pivoted on the shaft of the ratchet wheel, a pivoted pawl carried by the said 1ever 0 and normally engaging the ratchet, a

connection between the said lever and the receiver-supporting lever whereby the lever C will move when the receiver is removed and a pin inthe path of thepawl for throwing the same out of engagement with the ratchet wheel when thereceiver' is removed.

2; In combination with.- the lever for sup porting the telephone-receiver said lever being arranged torise when the receiver is removed therefrom, registering mechanism, a

clock mechanism for operating the register- 7 ing mechanism, a ratchet-wheel connected withthe clo'ckspring for winding the same, .a lever C pivoted on the shaft of the ratchet- ,wheel, a pivoted pawl carried by the said lejver O and normally engaging the ratchet, a Y lconnection between the said lever and the :receiver-su'pporting lever whereby the lever i C will move when the receiver is removed and a pinin the path of the pawl for throwing the, same outof engagement with the ratchetwheel when the receiver is removed, a balance-wheel and a lever on the shaft of the ratchet-wheel for setting the balance-wheel in motion, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses. THOMAS BARNET.

Witnesses:

MANFIELD- NEWTON, J AS. T. HUNTER. 

